Advances in electronics, software, telecommunications, and other technologies have allowed miniaturization and portability, as well as economical proliferation of a wide variety of modern electronic devices. Such devices include cellular telephones, laptop and other small form factor, lightweight, high capacity computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and a variety of others. With their usefulness and economical affordability, some such devices, the cellular (cell) telephone for instance, have become all but ubiquitous. A variety of applications may now be run on modern miniature, portable electronic devices.
A modern cell phone, for instance, besides “simply” functioning as a telephone for voice communications, can allow a user to access and use the Internet, capture and store pictures, perform calculations, store and retrieve memoranda, access, compose, and send text messages, and perform other useful tasks. Modern laptop and similar computers, with high capacity random access memory and flash drives and other features have capabilities comparable to many non-portable computers, and thus may run equivalent, similar, and/or identical applications.
Modern electronic and/or computer based games are quite popular and are useful for entertainment, education, training, developing hand-eye coordination and reflexes, rehabilitation, diversion, relaxation, and other activities. Their usefulness and popularity are such that their users seek to use electronic games anywhere, anytime, in almost any conceivable circumstance. Some such games are deployed in miniaturized, dedicated portable game devices. For these, such use is readily feasible, by their design. For instance, some game controllers are configured to efficiently provide spatial/directional and/or similar input for controlling (e.g., orienting, etc.) game action according to a user's skill, play, etc. For some other devices however, such use, while desirable, may face certain constraints or limitations.
Factors contributing to the popularity of the cell phone devices include portability, anytime usefulness in all manner of places in almost any conceivable circumstance, and more recently, versatility with various applications, including games. Yet, electronic games are best used where the game playing user is in full control of the game application, including the action characterizing the game, and over the gaming device, here e.g., the cell phone, itself. Thus, the user interface is an important component of the game device, impacting on the quality of the gaming experience.
However, cell phones are typically designed to optimize portability. Thus, they are typically designed and configured to minimize their size and weight, as well as to be economical to manufacture and procure. A conventional cell phone user interface typically includes a simple keypad. FIG. 1 depicts a typical cell phone 100, having a conventional keypad 110. Cell phone 100 is housed in a plastic case 129 and has speaker 115, which is held near or against a user's ear, and a microphone 116, into which a user speaks. Component circuitry 98 within case 129 provides functionality for cell phone 100.
An antenna 125, which can be retractable (e.g., into the inside of case 129) allows cell phone 100 to function wirelessly. Alphanumeric and graphical information are displayed for a user on display 111, which can be a liquid crystal display device, a cold cathode or thin screen cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or another small form factor, lightweight, low power consumption display device. Where cell phone 100 is used to provide gaming functionality, graphics for the gaming functionality (e.g., game images) like other information, is displayed to the user on display 111.
Keypad 110 provides an interface for a user to operate cell phone 100. A send key 112 allows a wireless connection to be established, which can be terminated with end key 113. Keys 1′-0′ allow a user to input alphanumeric data. A function key 114 provides for changing between functional applications running on cell phone 100 (e.g., on processors and memory comprising internal component circuitry 98), perhaps in conjunction with alphanumeric data input using one or more of keys 1′-0′. This (or e.g., a similar) layout for cell phone 100 accords well with its function as a highly portable telecommunications device.
Notwithstanding whatever capabilities component circuitry 98, function key 114, display 111, and the keys 1′-0′ provide however, the layout shown in FIG. 1 for cell phone 100, so typical of many conventional cell phones, while perhaps optimized for its telephone functionality, may not perform a gaming user interface function very well. Some modern cell phones are so compact and portable that the user's fingers may be somewhat large for manipulating the keys of keypad 110 that are active for gaming functions fast enough or accurately enough for efficient gaming data input, which can deter a rewarding gaming experience.
Further, component circuitry 98 typically functions to prevent more than one of alphanumeric input keys 1′-0′ from providing input at any one time, so as to optimize the telephonic functionality of cell phone 100. Component circuitry 98 typically also operates to ensure that all of the keys 1′-0′ function. For instance, the keys 1′-0′ each input their respective denominative numbers, their respective alphabetical characters (if any), and whatever other functionality each key has, according to the design of component circuitry 98. However, both of these features, single key input at any given time and all keys operability, can inhibit the efficient game interface functionality for keypad 110.
For instance, accidental activation of a key can cause an unintended, erroneous game input which can detract from the gaming experience. For instance, activating key 5′ where keys 2′, 6′, 8′, or 4′ are meant to be activated can result in key 5′ providing its input, which constitutes an erroneous or unintentional game data input. Further, the inability to handle input from multiple keys of keys 1′-0′ simultaneously can prevent use of multiple keys from certain gaming inputs. For instance, a certain game application may optimally function if keys 2′ and 4′, 6′ and 8′, etc., can provide their respective inputs simultaneously.
While these issues are discussed herein with reference to cell phone 100, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the electronic, telephone, gaming, computer, interface, and related arts that the issues are not limited to cell phones. Some of these same issues may also relate to certain PDAs and other devices, including laptop computers, and even desktop computer keyboards. Laptop computer keyboards, for instance, also typically respond to the individual input of single keys at any given time (except e.g., for ‘control’, ‘alternate’, ‘option’, ‘shift’, and similar function-oriented keys), all keys are active, and built-in interfaces typically include a small trackball and/or a touchpad. These too may not be optimal for gaming and similar applications.
Of course, peripheral hardware such as joysticks can be used to address this issue, but at the cost of portability, because the joystick and/or other peripherals must be carried with the computer, adding weight, using space, and requiring interconnectability. Similarly, the issues relating to cell phones have been addressed by changing the cell phone to be more compatible with gaming applications, such as making the keys larger, for example, so as to make them more quickly manipulable. Obviously however, such a solution works against the portability and other design features of the cell phone that make them so popular.
Conventional approaches to providing interfaces for effectively using gaming type applications with portable electronic devices thus include changing its design in ways that may not be compatible with other inherent features, such as portability. Some such approaches may even detract from the primary design characteristics of the device. Others work with peripheral hardware, which may also be incompatible with the device's design. There are portable electronic devices with designs dedicated to gaming, etc. Such portable gaming devices however typically have limited versatility apart from gaming type applications.